The Wanderer Returns
by Darkpenn
Summary: Ellie – Negasonic Teenage Warhead – returns to the Xavier mansion. But something has changed. Her.


**The Wanderer Returns**

 _Ellie – Negasonic Teenage Warhead – returns to the Xavier mansion. But something has changed. Her._

 _[Author's note: This story takes place soon after the end of the story_ What You Need To Be, _and the Superhero Landing_ _series. It begins a new four-part series.]_

Anna Marie – Rogue – and Colossus were conducting an outdoor class for the new class of trainees in the grounds of the Xavier mansion when she heard the throb of a heavy engine. Everyone looked towards what was coming through the gate.

"Whoa," said Jubilation Lee – known in the class as JL – as the bike pulled up at the door of the mansion and the rider dismounted in a swirl of leather. "Who's that? Can we go and see?"

Anna knew when she was beat. "Okay, ten minute break," she said. Everyone started towards the newcomer.

The rider removed her helmet.

"Wouldn't you know it," said Anna. "The wanderer returns."

"Oh dear," said Colossus.

"I suppose it's good to see you too," said Ellie, with a smile.

"Negasonic Teenage Warhead!" squealed JL.

"Call me Ellie."

"Thanks, it's a lot to say. Hey, this is a cool bike. What is it?"

"Harley-D Street Glide Special. 3.87 inch bore, 103 cubic inch displacement. It's alright."

"I bet it goes fast."

"Fast enough, I guess. I'll take you for a ride later, if you like."

"Aren't you too young to have a licence?" said Anna.

"A what?"

Anna sighed. "Never mind. Ellie, are you back? As in, _back_ back?"

"Not sure. But I wanted to let you know I was still alive. And kicking."

"Kicking, yes," said Colossus. "We have followed trail of destruction on television. You and big lady. Is she ... well?"

"Last time I saw her. And sexy as hell. I, er, gave her your number. Hope you don't mind."

"You ... gave her for my number?" said Colossus. "My ... telephone number?"

"No, your make and model number. Of course your phone number. So expect a call."

"A call," said Colossus. "A ... call."

Anna and Ellie exchanged looks, and both rolled their eyes.

"We have to finish this class," said Anna. "We'll de-brief you later."

"Sure," said Ellie. "I need a shower and a couple of hours of sleep. And a new uniform. Desperately." She opened her coat, showing that her X-Man uniform was tattered, torn and filthy.

"A ... call," said Colossus.

"Although why, I have no idea," muttered Ellie to herself.

They were in the office Anna used in her job as leader, while the Professor was away. She was leaning back in her chair. "Sounds like you had some adventures," she said. "When I mentioned Rumspringa I had more in mind a period of quiet contemplation and consideration of the future."

"Perhaps you should have put that bit in," said Ellie.

"Instead of contemplation we have fights and bodies," said Colossus.

"If I hurt anyone there was a good reason. And Colossus, I ... had a moment. One the four or five moments you talk about."

"And you did ... ?"

"What I believed was the right thing. I ... spared an enemy. I could have killed her. I ... chose ... not to."

He nodded. "Good. Good, young one."

Ellie looked at him. "Please don't call me that any more. You can call me Negasonic or Warhead or Ellie. But not young one. I think I've earned it."

"Ellie!" said Anna. "Respect for your trainer, please."

Colossus held up a hand. "No," he said. "Is right. Has earned it."

"Hmm," said Anna. "Ellie, do you have anything further to add?"

Ellie considered. "Yes, I do," she said. "I know that the focus of the X-Men has always been on helping people who were born mutants. But now we have these others. The ones who were not born as mutants. The ones who were forced into it, or tricked into it. By the people who ran the Factory. The book I have suggests that these people were made to do ... all sorts of things. Awful things."

"But these people ... are not like us," said Anna.

"They have the gene. That's what the X stands for. We should do what we can to help them. And the consortium that built the Factory might still be around."

There was a long silence in the room. Eventually, Anna said, "That is not the mandate that the Professor established. For this school, the mandate is to find, assist and train young people. And the role of the X-Men is to protect the entire community, mutant and human, against major threats. What you are talking about goes way beyond that. Trying to do it would expose us to a whole new level of danger. The government barely tolerates us as it is, and there are powerful people who are constantly searching for an excuse to move against us. If we start getting involved with this new group ... well, that would just provide that excuse."

Ellie was silent for a long, long moment. "So the mutant women forced into prostitution and the people being worked to death for their powers ... can just stay there," she said.

"I do not see a way that the X-Men can be involved."

Colossus gave a grunt. "Anna is right, young – I mean, Ellie," he said.

"You should get some rest," said Anna to Ellie. "Things will seem clearer to you when you've had some time to recover. You've been through a lot, after all."

Ellie shrugged. She pulled on her coat and left.

Anna and Colossus looked at each other. "Has a point," said Colossus after a while.

"Yeah, I know. And as for destroying the source of the control collars, well, you have to give her all credit for it. But I have to look at the bigger picture. Damn, sometimes I hate being leader."

Colossus left the room. He was walking along the hall when his phone beeped. Text message. He read it.

 _Hi, big guy. Remember me?_

It was the next day. Ellie and Colossus were in the Training Room. She had just hit a series of targets with pin-point accuracy. Colossus gave a grunt of appreciation.

"And I learned how to do the Superhero Landing," said Ellie.

"Is hard on knees."

"I have my own version which makes it easier. I push some kinetic energy downwards and pass through it so I can land a bit more softly. I don't think I could ever use it to fly or anything but at least I can jump off buildings and stuff. By the way, thanks for teaching me the hand-to-hand combat stuff. I had never really seen the point – but then I did."

Colossus set up another target – one made of steel. He watched as Ellie neatly smashed it in two.

"You have become more powerful," he said. "More control."

"The main problem I have is that the energy takes a few seconds to build up, and then a while longer to build up again after I've used it. So there are periods when I'm vulnerable. Is there a way around that?"

"Unlikely. Even Cyclops needs time to recharge. Just have to be tactical." He studied her closely. "You are different."

"I grew some. Sorry if I was a bit of a bitch before."

He shrugged his metal shoulders. "Seen worse."

She looked at him. "So?"

"So ... what?"

"So, what did she say?"

"Who?"

"Ha!"

He lowered his voice. "Have date planned," he said.

Ellie laughed. "Maybe she won't hit you in the balls this time," she said.

"I hope not ... wait, you should mind your language!"

A line of targets rushed towards them. Ellie destroyed them with a wide-angle burst of energy.

"She is ... beautiful woman," said Colossus.

"You should see her n – er, I mean, yes, I suppose she is quite attractive, in her own way. But she is ... well, she has a bad streak. Not evil, exactly, but she certainly plays by her own set of rules."

"Bad streak is not necessarily a bad thing."

His phone rang. He looked at the number of the incoming call. He said to Ellie, "Training session is over. Out of targets."

"Out of targets, sure," she said, with a little laugh.

She left and headed towards the Library. She could use the computer equipment there to design a new uniform for herself. She had decided that the old one was beyond any hope of repair. And it was time for a new one.

She was working on it when JL appeared and sat down beside her. She was, as usual, wearing her bright yellow jacket. "That's pretty good," she said, looking at the screen. "Not exactly party wear, though. Very dark grey and very very dark grey. Blast-proof material?"

"Has to be. I burn off anything else. I ended up fighting in undies at one point. I don't really have the cleavage to make that work."

"Speaking of built, the word around is that you teamed up with the Angel Dust woman. I thought she was a bad guy."

"She has her moments. I saved her, she saved me, you know the sort of thing. There, what do you think?"

"Looks good. Says tough. Serious. And just a little sexy, without going S&M."

Ellie entered the command that would see the new uniform assembled by the automated equipment downstairs. Several of them.

"But there's no X," said JL. "Not on the shoulder, not on the belt, nowhere. You have to have an X."

"No," said Ellie. "I don't."

 **Part II**

Two weeks later. Anna, Colossus, Hank McCoy – Beast – and Ororo Munroe – Storm – were sitting in Anna's office. This was the leadership group of the Xavier College and the X-Men.

"The matter of Ellie," said Anna, "is becoming serious. She believes that we should act to help the people who were turned into mutants at the Factory and sold as slaves, and several of the students have begun to say similar things. She has indicated that she doesn't care about collateral damage. I have told her that pursuing that course of action would expose the X-Men and the college to serious danger from the authorities."

"True, Senator Caldwell will have a wonderful time with it," said Hank.

"As if we don't have enough problems," said Ororo.

"There is something I should make clear," said Colossus. "Negasonic has grown stronger. She is still young but her powers are well beyond those of a child. If they continue to grow – and I believe they will – it might not be possible to ... contain ... her."

"How powerful is she at the moment?" said Hank.

"She could probably raze this building if she put mind to it."

"Great, another re-build," muttered Ororo.

"And soon she will be able to destroy, say, a city block. Then ... who knows?"

"Why is she so intent on helping these new mutants?" said Hank.

"Because we taught her that there is obligation to help those who need help."

"Uh, yeah, we guess we did do that."

"I've noticed that that occasionally she vanishes," said Anna. "Do you think she had anything to do with the trouble at the power plant? Caldwell has been very happy to imply that the blackouts had something to do with mutants in his media statements."

"Possibly," said Colossus.

"Can we simply tell her that ... she's, er, not allowed to get involved?" said Ororo.

"We can try. I would not rate the chance of success highly. And after all, she is – "

"Right," finished Anna. "Yeah, I know. But the X-Men can do nothing about it."

"So," said Hank, "she's on her own?"

"Perhaps not entirely," said Colossus.

It was the next day, in the gym of the Xavier mansion. Ellie was working out on a punching bag, with chops and kicks. Colossus – Nikolai – was holding it in position for her.

"You know," said Ellie between punches, "that I can't stay."

"I know," said Nikolai.

"There are things I have to do."

"I know. Eventually, we will be on different sides. That is how it will have to be."

Ellie stopped punching.

"I won't fight you, Nikolai."

He grunted. "Because you would lose?"

"No. Because I would win."

He grunted again. "Perhaps," he said.

She went back to slamming the bag.

"Authorities contacted us," he said. "Said that they were not happy with the recent troubles. They said they had heard there were mutants involved. They asked if they were X-Men. We told them no. The truth. But they told us if these disruptions to the orderly life of the city continue, we will be obliged to take action against the mutants responsible. So I am giving you a ... what do you young people say ... a head thing – "

"A heads-up," said Ellie.

"Yes. Your actions will have ... consequences."

She stopped punching. "Thank you, Nikolai," she said. "But you know that I can't stop. Not now."

"Yes, I know. In your position, I might do the same."

"You could join us, you know."

He shook his head. "No, I could not," he said.

She was silent for a long time. Then she said, "How are things with Christina?"

He gave a shrug of his metal shoulders. "We will be friends, I think. No more. I believe she loves another. She might not know it yet."

Ellie was quiet again. Then she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, tenderly. She turned and left.

"Goodbye, young one," said Colossus softly.

That night, Negasonic Teenage Warhead left the mansion. Rode away. She crossed the line. She went dark. They lost her.

END

Note to readers: Darkpenn recently published a novel about a female superhero (sort of). Anyone who is interested can find it on Amazon. Title is _I, Viridian: Supervillain_. E-copy and hard copy. Author name is Derek Parker. Book blurb is:

 _This is the story of Viridian: supervillain, fan of Shakespeare, owner of many sexy shoes, carefree and irresponsible at the competitive level, bearer of a mystical gem that gives her incredible powers._

 _Raised by thieves to be a thief, she was never really a child, or never grew up, she doesn't know which. When she washes up on the shores of Oklahoma City, pursued by shadowy forces and an unknown enemy, she links up with an oddball gang of would-be supercriminals: mastermind Monk, samurai Tantō, strongman Cave, and the remarkable Flux._

 _And through them she discovers what it is she is looking for: a reason to fight, a reason to stay, a reason to care, and, most of all, a reason to love._


End file.
